Week One of Reading

Well, I'm still in the beginning of the novel but I can already see why so many people were talking about it. Not only were the indiebound and independent bookstores buzzing about this novel but it received notice from the large chains like Barnes and Noble too.

First off, the whole novel is written in letters. I find myself reading it and wondering how much harder it is to write a novel in letters. For instance, the author needs to describe the events that are happening or happened instead of the reader experiencing them. Also, the author has to be creative in introducing the characters and explaining them so the reader feels they know as much about them as they would in a "regular" novel. So far, the authors have done just that. I would say the only thing that has been challenging is to remember the people who the letters are getting written by. For instance, I find myself looking back to see, "Now, who was this person and in what relation to the novel are they?"

This novel is truly standing up to its hype. The plot is set against the close of World War II, however the characters are frequently re-calling stories from the war time. The characters are all rich in detail with not only about their lives but with rich descriptions too.

Lastly, I feel this novel is so gripping because it talks about my favorite thing: reading. I once had an internship at an independent bookstore and the book buyer there said books about books are always popular. Right when he said it I understood because I enjoy reading books about people who enjoy them as much as I do. For instance, I have read three memoirs about reading which included "So Many Books So Little Time", "The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop" and "Leave Me Alone I'm Reading".

Also, the novel is engrossing. I find great enjoyment having a cup of hot chocolate and reading. It is turning out to be a great enjoyment and I can't wait to continue reading. So, happy reading!

Summer Reading

Since I seem to always follow what is popular a little behind the curve, I am just now creating my first "blog". I still don't even use Twitter and I had made a Facebook account only because my roommate freshmen year at college did it for me. However, I thought it could be fun to start writing a blog about the books I'm reading during the perfect season for it, summer.

I could set a goal for myself like Sara Nelson did in her memoir, "So Many Books So Little Time" reading a book a week for a year, but I don't think I could be that ambitious. So, I will start off slow and write about the books I'm reading now without setting a time limit for myself because life sometimes gets in the way of reading.


I am currently just starting the novel, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" that I picked up at the bookstore. It has received so many raves that with a review that states, "A book-lover's delight, an implicit and sometimes explicit paean to all things literary" its hard to not want to read it! It also got huge raves with the indiboung.org folks and since they recommend books I have enjoyed in the past I thought I would take them up on this recommendation also. I'll follow up with my reading on how it is going and if it is as good as everyone says.


However, I just finished a novel that was both a challenging and an excellent read at the same time! The novel is entitled, "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery. Even though I just finished it I know I will definitely read it again! Re-reading a book in my opinion is something of the highest praise as there is always more new books being published and then of course those classics that are always in the back of your head that you think you should be reading.

I say the novel was challenging only in the sense of Muriel's very expansive vocabulary. The plot and characters themselves were both rich in description and fascinating to read about. The second time I read it I will be having a highlighter and a dictionary by my side to understand everything that this prodigious story has to offer.

Now, since I was an English major in college I will be dissecting my novels from six different approaches: Formalist, Reader-Response, Historical, Feminist, Ethnicity and Psychoanalytical.

As I progress with the blog I will have a running list of Books I'm Reading, Books I Want to Read, and Books I Have Read.

So, happy summer reading to all!